My girlfriend recently spent a few weeks in China, and related some of the same stories. She figured out the process pretty quick: it's not quite that the people she encountered enjoyed haggling, it's just what they're used to. Haggling successfully to a low price gets you respect from the seller.
It is a completely foreign concept to Americans, who tend to come away with this feeling that either they've just been ripped off, or they just ripped off the seller.
I don't think I would handle it well at all (partly because I'm not fond of buying trinkets anyway).
I think the people who enjoy it are the people buying, not selling.
I was recently in Taiwan with some locals, and everything we did was discounted. It seemed awkward bargaining at a 4-5 star hotel - but we ended up paying about half by paying cash in advance.
Comments
My girlfriend recently spent a few weeks in China, and related some of the same stories. She figured out the process pretty quick: it's not quite that the people she encountered enjoyed haggling, it's just what they're used to. Haggling successfully to a low price gets you respect from the seller.
It is a completely foreign concept to Americans, who tend to come away with this feeling that either they've just been ripped off, or they just ripped off the seller.
I don't think I would handle it well at all (partly because I'm not fond of buying trinkets anyway).
I think the people who enjoy it are the people buying, not selling.
I was recently in Taiwan with some locals, and everything we did was discounted. It seemed awkward bargaining at a 4-5 star hotel - but we ended up paying about half by paying cash in advance.